Volkswagen Golf SE 1.6 TDi

Nov 7 2009 John Scantlebury

THE Golf has long been the standard-setter in its class and there must have been much scratching of heads at Volkswagen about how to improve it again for the Mark VI version.

And in looks terms, at least, they didn't come up with very much, just adding a few tweakings from the Scirocco to sharpen things up a tad. But generally the familiar if rather conservative lines are kept.

However, any relief the opposition felt at that must have dissipated when they came to drive the latest Golf, because it has simply moved ahead again of the chasing pack, a smallish car displaying many of the characteristics of a luxury cruiser.

That's almost totally down to its pure refinement, with VW going to great lengths to remove extraneous noise. Measures range from a completely new design of door and windows seals and a sound-damping inter-layer in the windscreen to improved measures for the heating system. Damping technologies, mountings, thicker front windows and more absorbing materials all come into play, as well, and this is one quiet car.

Very little was heard of the 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine in the test car and you need to pay particular attention to the rev counter and speedo. In the absence of any aural clues, it is easy both to stall at one end and suddenly and surprisingly to find yourself pushing 100mph at the other.

Wind noise has similarly been banished and there was not very much off the road, either, despite the fact that I went looking for those rutted concrete surfaces that always drum fiercely.

That also underlined the quality of the ride and handling, the excellent characteristics of the Golf V's four-link rear suspension being rightly carried over. Ruts and craters are smoothed out impressively, yet the pliancy of the set-up doesn't harm the driving accuracy and sure-footedness.

The car enjoys bends, where the nice weighting of the steering makes a good contribution.

New for this Golf is the availability as an option of Volkswagen's Adaptive Chassis Control from the Passat CC and the Scirocco, but you get a stability programme as standard, anyway.

Given all that, the lack of dynamism from the car - in this turbo diesel, anyway - was a bit disappointing, with a fair amount of coaxing needed for take-off. It's no beast of an engine with power at just 105PS and maximum pull of 185lb/ft, but the payback is wonderful economy, returning well over 70mpg on the open road.

A display coaches you in choosing the right gear and even in town it is possible to get 50mpg, the good news for the wallet being furthered by the engine's cleanliness, putting out a mere 119g/km of carbon dioxide. If you want quicker action, there are plenty of engine choices in both petrol and diesel.

But back to refinement, and few do cabins better than VW. Here there were splashings of chrome, aluminium and glossy black inlays, plus improved materials, and the good looks were augmented by the fine practicality of the new layout, where all switches and controls came easily to hand.

The entire instrument panel has been redesigned for the Golf VI, nicely done, though I still miss the VW blue backlighting of dials, replaced by white as part of the introduction of daytime running lights.

Standard driving aids include height and reach-adjustable steering wheel, cruise control and automatic lights and wipers, comforts feature semi-automatic air conditioning, an eight-speaker entertainment system and armrests, and seven airbags are among the safety measures.

Options include the latest touch-screen DVD, navigation and entertainment system.

Passenger space is quite good and for items the boot is a useful size, with very good capacity available if you employ the split/folding rear seats.

The new Golf is very impressive. While you might wish for a little more excitement and involvement with it, and rue a slightly-high price tag, there's no doubt it leaves others still chasing its accomplished tail.

FAST FACTS

Volkswagen Golf SE 1.6 TDi

Price: £17,905.

Mechanical: 105ps, 1,598cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 5-speed manual gearbox

Max speed: 117mph

0-62mph: 11.3 seconds

Combined mpg: 62.8

Insurance group: 6

CO2 emissions: 119g/km

BiK rating: 15%

Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles